Dalton sat down hard and looked up into the smiling gray-green eyes of his old friend James. He almost jumped up to hug the man, but then he remembered he was supposed to be Dillon Green, unknown to the likes of the notorious bounty hunter, James McKendrick. “By all means, join us. I can be convinced to take your money.”
The man across the table snorted. “Not the way you’ve been playing.”
Dalton stuck his hand out to James. “Dillon Green, nice to meet you.”
James took his hand, no spark of recognition glimmering in his eyes. “James McKendrick.”
Had his disguise been that good? Couldn’t James see through it to his old friend? A bit disappointed, Dalton nodded to the man opposite him. “The gentleman who has been relieving me of my money is Ephraim Gotlieb.”
The other man shook hands with James and gathered the cards. “You want to deal?”
James shook his head. “No, but I know someone who’s quite good at it, if you don’t mind making it an even foursome.”
“The more players at the table, the more money I’ll take home.” Gotlieb chortled, looking around the room for the mystery player.
Dalton turned in his seat, his breath catching in his throat as a woman wearing a go-to-hell red dress cut low over her bosoms stepped into the gaming room. Her glossy black hair and bright blue eyes bored a hole right through his heart.
Rosalyn.
She didn’t walk across the floor, she eased her way through the crowded room, her body swaying in all the right directions, catching every male eye as she passed.
She stopped at the table, her brows raised, her lips in a hint of a smile. “Gentlemen, mind if I join you?”
All three men stumbled to their feet. Gotlieb got to her chair first, pulling it out for her to sit. “Please. Join us.”
Joy warred with anger as Dalton took his seat next to Rosalyn. He shot a glance at James, the smirk on his lips undeniable. His disguise hadn’t been that good. James had known exactly who Dillon Green was, and he’d enlisted Rosalyn’s help in surrounding him. What was their game?
Dalton lowered himself into his chair, his mind churning. “Mr. McKendrick. If my memory serves me right, you’re a rather notorious bounty hunter, are you not?”
James tipped his head. “You have a fine memory. Your friends and family must be so proud.”
Not to be distracted, Dalton leaned forward. “Tell me, are you after anyone in particular at this time?”
James nodded at the woman across from him. “I’m only here for the company of a lovely lady. If I should catch a wanted man in the meantime, I’m certain the lady would forgive me. Am I right?” He reached across the table to take Rosalyn’s hand and kissed the tips of her gloved fingers.
“Most certainly. Especially a man who would lie, cheat and steal a fortune, then leave his so-called friends behind as if they meant nothing to him. I’d have no problem whatsoever if he chose to hogtie, whip and hang the beast.”
Gotlieb handed the deck of cards to Rosalyn, whose smile lit the room with its width and brilliance.
Rosalyn shuffled the cards three times, handed them back to Gotlieb to cut the deck, then she expertly dealt each player a hand of poker.
Dalton’s heart hammered against his ribs. This was the strong, determined woman he’d fallen in love with. The Rosalyn he’d asked to marry him, knowing full well her background, her ownership of a brothel in Memphis and her love of multiple partners and rough play in her bed. He’d been more than willing to share her with James until he’d discovered he wanted more from Rosalyn than a quick romp. Somewhere between his trips up and down river gambling, he’d fallen for this woman. When he realized it, he wanted to change his life, own his own piece of land and raise a few cows and kids.
All with Rosalyn. If not for the little matter of a stolen cache of U.S. Army payroll, he’d have been living that life, loving his wife for the past year.
Instead, she sat beside him, showing off some of her best attributes.
Hell, every man in the room stared at her, their tongues lolling like those of a pack of hungry dogs.
Anger pushed aside the joy that had originally welled in his chest upon seeing her enter the gaming room. “What shall we bet for?”
“We can start with a single gold piece.” Gotlieb smacked a coin into the center of the table.
Rosalyn reached into her cleavage and removed a small coin purse. From it she selected a gold piece, placed it on the pile and lifted her cards to study them.
“What brings you to the Marie-Dearie, Mr. Green?” James asked.
“Oh, yes, please, pray tell.” Rosalyn stared at her cards as though Dalton’s answer meant nothing more than polite conversation.
“I came to settle an old debt.”
Rosalyn’s light laughter grated on Dalton’s nerves. “And how does a gambler settle a debt?” Her gaze pinned him. “By stealing from Peter to pay Paul?”
Dalton bit down hard on his tongue, willing the heat in his neck to cool. He tossed two cards on the table. “Hit me.”
Rosalyn’s eyes narrowed and her knuckles turned white on the deck she held.
Dalton almost laughed. She flipped two cards on the table and dealt one to James and three to Ephraim.
Ephraim pitched two more gold coins into the center, his face alight.
Dalton couldn’t begin to remember what he had in his hands, not with the lovely Rosalyn so close he could reach out and touch her.
She dug in her purse, a pout forming on her luscious lips. “Well, I fear I’m out of gold coins. I hate to fold when I have such a wonderful hand.” She tugged at the chain around her neck and unclasped it in the back. Then she lifted the pendent from her shadowy cleavage and laid it across the pile of gold. “Would you let me bet this in place of a gold piece? Surely it’s worth something to you. It has no meaning left to me.”
Dalton leaned closer. The pendent was not a pendent at all, but the ring he’d given her the night he’d asked her to be his wife.
Chapter Two
Rosalyn’s hand shook as she laid the ring on the stack of coins. She straightened, her brows arching as she stared across the table at Dalton.
The gambler’s poker face held steady, but based on the familiar twitch in his jaw, her barb had struck home. “I have no issue with the lady’s ante.” His tight smile never reached his eyes, their slight narrowing barely detectable.
“I know a woman who would love to own such a trinket.” Ephraim fingered the ring. “Right pretty little thing.” He nodded. “I’m in.”
The side of James’s mouth quirked upward. “I’m in.”
“Very well.” Rosalyn spread her cards on the table, a full house.
James laid out his cards. “Beats my three of a kind.”
Ephraim chortled. “Four of a kind.” He slapped four eights and a five of clubs on the table, his grin spreading from ear to ear. “The little woman will be beside herself.” He reached for the pot in the middle.
Dalton’s hand clamped down over the other man’s. “Not so fast.” He laid his cards on the table, his gaze not on the man or the money in the center of the table, but on Rosalyn. “Royal flush.”
Ephraim sat back, his lips twisting. “Well, now, doesn’t that beat all?”
“Yes, it does.” Dalton slipped the ring in his pocket and scooped the rest of the kitty onto his side of the table. “Care to wager on another round?”
“I’m out.” Ephraim stood, stretched and glanced around. “The room sure has cleared out all of a sudden. I imagine it will be only moments before the captain rings the dinner bell, don’t you think?”
Dalton nodded. “It’s about that time.”
James stood. “Mind if I join you, Mr. Gotlieb?”
“I’d be honored.” Ephraim held the door for James.
James paused on his way out. “If you should need anything on your journey, Miss Smythe, don’t hesitate to ask…anything at all.” He winked and left the room.
When
it struck her that she’d be alone with Dalton, Rosalyn jumped to her feet. “I might just join the gentlemen at dinner.”
A hand grabbed her wrist and yanked her to a stop. “No.”
“No?” She stared down at the strong fingers gripping her. “Unhand me, sir.”
“You can stop your little act. We’re alone now.”
“Then please excuse me, as I had no intention of ever being alone with a scoundrel such as yourself ever again.” She tugged at the wrist he held.
With one yank, Dalton threw her off balance. The slight rocking motion of the boat accomplished the rest, tipping Rosalyn off her feet and sending her crashing into Dalton’s lap.
Anger warred with desire as the unique scent of Dalton wrapped around her in an enticing web. She fought her natural instinct to snuggle closer as she had in the past, when she’d practically crawled into the man’s skin. They’d been so perfect together—both flawed, world-weary entrepreneurs, making their livings in the best way they could.
He’d never held it against her that she’d owned and operated the Rose Palace. She’d taken over the business from Madame D’Neau when the older woman had retired and moved back east to Boston. Dalton had been gambling since he ran away from an orphanage at the tender age of twelve.
Dalton threaded his hands into Rosalyn’s hair, upsetting the ringlets she’d spent half the afternoon perfecting.
“Why are you here, Mr. Green?” she asked. “To continue your path of lying, cheating and stealing from others? I wouldn’t be surprised if you’d cheated at that hand of cards. Stealing is second nature to you, is it not?”
“Silence woman,” he growled.
“I will not. I have an opinion and a right to speak, just as well as you do. Despite your arrogance, it might behoove you to know you aren’t the only person in this world with a mind of your own.” Rosalyn knew she was prattling on, but she couldn’t stop herself. The feel of him beneath her bottom brought back far too many recollections of making love with this man. “I will not be treated like a horse to be roped and reined in at her master’s whim.”
He touched a finger to her lips to silence her. “Seems to me you liked being roped and tied. You liked it when I played the master.”
She stared at him over his finger, her eyes widening, her breath coming in short gasps. When he talked of mastering her, it made her body so hot she was surprised she didn’t burst into flames.
Then his lips crashed down on hers, cutting off anything else she might have said, any protest she might have made, his new mustache tickling her upper lip. His mouth consumed hers in a breath-stealing kiss that defied her attempts to remain aloof, destroying her vow to cut him to the quick and leave him bleeding as he’d done to her heart a year ago.
His tongue teased the seam of her lips until she opened to him on a sigh. He delved in and claimed what was still his, the kiss becoming one of such exquisite torture as to leave her feeling utterly exposed and defenseless.
She melted against him, one hand pressing into his white shirt, the other curling around the back of his neck to draw him closer.
When he finally lifted his mouth from hers, she breathed for the first time in what must have been forever. “Why did you come back?” she asked.
Dalton kissed the line of her jaw, taking her earlobe between his teeth and nibbling gently. His breath stirred the tendrils of hair along her neck when he whispered, “I’m here to take back what was stolen from me.”
Rosalyn went rigid. She shoved against his chest and stumbled to her feet. Once upright, she straightened her dress and pushed her shoulders back, holding her head high when she wanted to crack and fall into a million broken pieces along with her heart. “I’m so glad to know where your loyalties lie. One thing I learned in the mountains of Colorado is that gold is precious, but it can’t buy love. I hope you and your gold are happy together.”
She spun on her heel and hurried toward the door, dodging the hand that snaked out to grab her again. With only moments to spare, she raced through the corridor and down the steps to her room.
Before she could open her door, her eyes filled with tears. She grappled for the doorknob, twisting it and pushing through the door just as the sobs rose up in her throat.
The gambler hadn’t come back for her, he’d come back for a damned bag of gold.
His lips still tingling from that kiss, Dalton left the gaming room in search of his old friend James McKendrick. What were he and Rosalyn doing on this boat? Why now? They could very well upset his plans to capture the man responsible for framing him.
Though the wanted posters had faded, the marshals along the river route no doubt had a memory that would serve them well. He hoped the fact that Rosalyn was aboard wouldn’t clue them in to looking beneath the mustache he’d grown for the occasion.
Ah, dear, sweet Rosalyn…
Having her so close, kissing her, holding her in his arms, only served to remind him of all he’d lost. She didn’t know the truth. Hell, he’d never had the opportunity to tell her what was happening before he jumped overboard.
With the law hot on his trail, all he’d been able to do at the time was get the hell away from everything and everyone he knew. He couldn’t go to Rosalyn. They’d been watching her, laying in wait for him to come to her. He couldn’t risk implicating her as an accomplice to murder. Not that he’d committed murder.
After a thorough search of the dining room, and no sign of McKendrick, Dalton stepped out on deck, the moonlight reflecting off the dark waters of the Mississippi River. The lights of Memphis shone out across the water, mixing with the natural illumination from above. He walked the length of one side, from the still paddlewheel to the front where he found James leaning against the railing. His old friend didn’t acknowledge his presence, staring straight ahead into the night.
“I didn’t do it.” Dalton’s words broke through the silence.
“That’s not what the marshal said.”
“I wasn’t anywhere near that hotel that night. Rosalyn had some matters to settle at the Rose Palace—one of her ladies locked herself in her room and wouldn’t come out. After the poker game, I wandered along the river, plucking up the courage to ask the woman to be my bride.”
“They found your calling card and your pistol in the room with the soldiers. How do you explain that?”
“James.” Dalton faced his old friend. “Do you think I would have left those items in the room with men I’d supposedly killed? Do you think me a complete fool? Anyone could have broken into my room, stolen my pistol and taken one of my cards that night as I walked along the river.”
James shook his head. “What I don’t understand is why you ran.”
Dalton turned back to the scene in front of him, the memory of that night all he could see. “The marshal’s lynch mob wasn’t going to wait for a judge or jury to proclaim my guilt or innocence. If you’d seen the ropes they carried, you’d have jumped too.”
“Still, it was your word against the marshal’s.”
“Someone framed me, James. Someone planted the payroll in my room that night. They wanted me to take the fall for it, and they sent the lynch mob to eliminate any chance of finding me innocent.”
James’s head jerked around, his eyes shining in the moonlight. “You found the gold in your room?”
Dalton’s lips tightened. “You see how damning it is?”
“Why didn’t you turn it over to the authorities?”
“I had other plans for that evening.” He’d been in a hurry to meet Rosalyn at the predetermined spot on a moonlit night much like the one he and James stood in now.
Her silky hair had glowed like black satin, her eyes glittering brighter than any star in the heavens. He’d been so in love and anxious to seal their fates through marriage. An unexplained bag of gold in his room couldn’t stand in his way of declaring his love and asking for her hand.
“What could have been more important than saving your sorry ass from being accused of a c
rime?” James’s lips thinned. “You’ll have to do better than that.”
“Dammit, James, I was asking Rosalyn to marry me that night.”
James stood still, his jaw set so tightly a muscle twitched. “You picked a lousy time to ask.”
Dalton snorted and leaned his elbows on the railing. “You’re telling me.”
“I was away on a hunt for the West Helena Bank robbers.”
“I figured you wouldn’t be too pleased about the proposal.”
“I thought what we had, the three of us, was pretty good.”
“It was.”
“What changed?”
“I wanted more.” Dalton’s chin rose. “I wanted my own house, with a wife to warm my bed and children running around my feet. The life I never knew growing up.”
“Did you present all that to Rosalyn?”
“I did.”
“And she bought it?”
Dalton nodded. “She said yes.”
James snorted. “I can’t picture Rosalyn with a dozen children chasing around her skirts, content to stay home and run a household instead of a prosperous business establishment. She strikes me as someone who thrives on industry and the challenge of making a business successful, no matter what.”
“I asked her if she’d be content to be my wife, to give up the Rose Palace.” Dalton leaned his elbows on the railing again. “She said yes.”
James didn’t respond. He stood as stiff as a poker in the moonlight. “Then I don’t know her as well as I thought. But I do know she came back to settle up with you.”
“Seems like she’s done that.” Dalton fished in his pocket for the ring. “The ring she gambled away was the one I gave her upon our engagement.”
“What about the gold? What happened to it?”
“I hid it.”
“Where?”
Dalton continued staring out at the water. “I can’t tell you. Whoever killed those soldiers is still out there, running free. He went to a lot of trouble to set me up for the murder.”
James crossed his arms over his chest. “Again I ask, why don’t you take it to the authorities?”
River Bound: Bound and Tied, Book 3 Page 2